5 things WWE did right at Stomping Grounds

The night started with The Man successfully defending her Raw Women’s Championship and ended with her boyfriend successfully defending his own title. In a night of more ups than downs, it’s fair to say the inaugural WWE Stomping Grounds was a success. It provided some conclusive ending s to some storylines while adding another chapter in others.

The sport of pro wrestling is one of the most subjective disciplines in the world. Everyone has a different opinion on wrestlers, booking decisions and the quality of shows. WWE’s B-rated pay-per-views are often seen as less special than the big four with expectations often lowered. However, Stomping Grounds bucked that trend stupendously. With many across the wrestling world doubting WWE’s ability to deal with competition, the #1 wrestling organisation on the planet showed everyone why they’ve been on top for so long.

Here are 5 things WWE did right at Stomping Ground.

#5 Owens & Zayn win

For far too long, the Canadian duo has looked like comedy acts on the main roster. Yes, they’ve been afforded a lot of promo/mic time, however, they’re talking hasn’t been backed up by results in the ring. Instead, the duo has lost so many bouts that it was about time they got a precious W on record. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn defeated New Day members Big E & Xavier Woods in a fast-paced, highly physical and exciting match that set the tone for the night.

This win reminded the fans that the Canadian duo are not just a joke, neither are they there as heels just to make the babyfaces on the show look good. They’re elite level performers in their own right and main event threats. From the first second of the match, Owens and Zayn dominated the New Day with a series of high-power moves. New Day would make a comeback and what would follow would be several epic exchanges that got the crowd chanting ‘this is awesome’.

#4 Kofi vs Dolph

Steel Cage matches are often hard to book in the WWE. They’re not quite Hell in a Cell or Elimination Chamber matches but they’re still meant to be gruesome and awkward to watch. However, with most stipulations, when you’ve seen it so many times the novelty begins to wear off. In contrast to that trend, WWE booked this Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler match to perfection.

The two engaged in a physical, athletic, fast-paced and dramatic match that exceeded many’s expectations. The finish to the match was perfect too, as even in his tired state, Kofi’s supreme athleticism shone through. Kofi’s amazing leap to the floor got a loud pop from the crowd who were in awe of both his and Dolph’s amazing effort.

Dolph Ziggler’s role in this feud was to be a placeholder just to keep Kofi’s momentum going, instead, he did more than that. He elevated the already popular WWE Champion to a new level of dominance.

#3 Presentation of Lacey Evans

Despite losing her second consecutive match to Becky Lynch, Lacey Evans was booked and presented as a legitimate talent in the women’s division. The Sassy Southern bell took the WrestleMania main eventer to her absolute limits, proving that she belongs on that level. Lest we forget, Evans is still a newcomer and should have no shame in losing to the most popular wrestler in the company today.

During the match, Evans had periods where she dominated The Man and at one point, she even reversed the disarmer. She showcased a lot of offense against the Champ, leaving many to hope she gets further opportunities down the line.

Just to further the point she’s a main event star, she was picked as the special guest referee in the Universal Championship match. The WWE clearly sees the 29-year-old as a star and prominent part of programming going forward.

#2 Ricochet wins the US title

What a match, what a moment for Ricochet. Going into this title bout, no one expected the 30-year-old to defeat Samoa Joe. The submission specialist looked set to go on a long and dominant run as champion after finally regaining his title in controversial circumstances.

At times during this match, Joe would fling Ricochet across the ring like he was a piece of meat, physically dominating him. Alas, the athleticism and relentless of Ricochet would overcome the Samoan’s raw power to win his first title on the main roster.

These are the kind of moments that stick in the minds of the WWE universe for years to come. It’s these kinds of moments that will help this pay-per-view stand out from being just another B-rated PPV. Instead, the inaugural Stomping Grounds will forever be remembered as the launchpad of Ricochet.

#1 Becky helps Seth Rollins

The days of kayfabe are all but gone. It’s becoming harder and harder for WWE to blur the lines of kayfabe and reality as the age of social media has broken down those barriers. It’s best now to just book real-life events into storylines instead of pretending they never happened. That’s exactly what the company have done with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

It started with a few mentions on the company’s social media all the way to a brief cameo of Becky by Seth’s side on Monday Night Raw. Now the company have gone full steam ahead with the two most popular wrestler’s in the company and incorporated their relationship into a main event storyline.

Seeing as Baron Corbin made the cheeky choice of picking Lacey Evans as his special guest referee, knowing full well Rollins wouldn’t hit a lady, Becky decided to come to her boyfriend’s aid. The WWE Universe thoroughly enjoyed seeing the duo and the Raw Women’s Champion got a humongous pop when she came down to make the save. This was an example of a real-life relationship being booked into TV done right.